The Hard Country CDMX Takeaways & Reevaluating Claudia Sheinbaum
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Mar 31, 2025 Exploring governance under Claudia Sheinbaum reveals her surprising political strength and effective leadership amid Mexico’s complex history. The intricate relationship between the government and drug cartels highlights challenges at the U.S.-Mexico border, focusing on fentanyl trafficking. Discussions on reauthorizing the USMCA unveil historical trade failures and Mexico's strategic diplomacy. Socioeconomic disparities and the political exploitation of poverty raise crucial questions about true progress and welfare initiatives, while the ties between leftist governments and cartels present ethical challenges in governance.
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Mexico's Centralism-Federalism Cycle
- Mexico cycles between centralism and federalism like a sine wave of politics and violence.
- Understanding that cyclical pattern reveals predictable windows for foreign-policy leverage.
Sheinbaum Outperformed Early Expectations
- Claudia Sheinbaum was expected to be a weak, placeholder president but instead consolidated control.
- Her effective stewardship surprised many observers and changed U.S. policy calculations.
Flight Conversation Praising Sheinbaum
- Joshua sat next to a Mexican lawyer on his flight who praised Sheinbaum's performance dealing with the United States.
- The lawyer said she was "over the moon proud," reflecting elite domestic approval of her diplomacy.